Chicago at Boston

Chicago winds up a two-game road trip, out West at Colorado the last game and now heading to the East Coast. The Blackhawks are 6-7 the last 13 games, erratic on defense, even losing four times as a favorite. Top goalie Corey Crawford will sit, so Scott Darling gets the nod with a 3.40 goals against average and .905 save percent in his career against Boston. He is off a 6-0 loss to Washington and the team has lost three of his last four starts. Boston is strong defensively, seventh in the NHL in goals allowed, and second in penalty killing. The Bruins took the day off yesterday after a collapse at Detroit, blowing a 4-1 lead. It was the second loss in a row, putting the heat on the coaching staff. This is the third home game in the last four contests and ace goalie Tuukka Rask is 3-1-1 with a 2.36 average, including a shutout, against the Blackhawks. Look for a huge bounce-back effort by the embarrassed home team. Play Boston as my January Game of the Month.